Share your thoughts on what it takes to win the battle against terrorism. What lessons do you draw from the Reagan administration's counterterrorism efforts of the 1980s?

Dear FRONTLINE,

The one thing that sticks in my mind after watching "Hunting bin Laden" and "Target America" is that it makes no difference what side of the world you live, too many people have died.

I think Frontline has done an amazing job at presenting as many facts of history as possible in an unbiased manner. Who did what, when will always be debated by those not faced with the awesome responsibility of the moment of decision. But while political power and motives are continually questioned, the pictures speak loudly that innocent lives are tragically stepped on and taken away.

Obviously death is not the answer to our problems. The United States of America should take the lead toward world unity and ultimately world peace. Instead of sending our military to fight with weapons, we should send them to fight terrorism with good deeds that show the world that America stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Isaac Konikoff
Phoenix, AZ

Dear FRONTLINE,

Every man, woman, and yes, child, must now accept that they may be called to duty at any moment - the moment they realize they are in the midst of a terrorist situation. The next step of the terrorist will be one of death, and each person must realize that at that moment he or she is the one who is in the "war against terrorism", and be willing to resist to the point of death. The people of Flight 93 are the ones we must each be ready to emulate.

Valerie Spink
Phoenix, Arizona

Dear FRONTLINE,

thanks not very much for providing a one-hour propagandafest of Reaganites, many of whom are currently back in power. I had hoped to hear on PBS a more nuanced discussion of American responsibility for creating the current situation. Instead we were served up another one-sided hour of right-wing talking heads, known and some convicted for their contempt for the democratic process in determining foreign policy, putting you solidly in the mainstream of the Soviet-style monolithic media support for the current illegitimate regime's shortsighted and doomed policy of fighting a 'war' against people that we can't even identify. I'm very disappointed.

nashville , TN

Dear FRONTLINE,

We may indulge ourselves in what has gone on in the past. Those times are now in the past, and the political landscape that created those events are now long gone. It is the new world order that is being generated dailey. These are the most dynamic times that our current civilization has ever faced. The world is reshaping itself, every country is analyzing it's world position. Alliances are being made between enemy and friend alike. There are activities that we all find unacceptable, no matter what our differences are, and we will find ways to bond as human beings to stop such atrocities.

Scott Smith
Phoenix, Arizona

Dear FRONTLINE,

The reason for the attacks on america is deeply rooted in the badly flawed U.S. foreign policy in the middle east. Under the powerful influence of the Israeli lobby on our legislative and exacutive branches of government we ended up antagonizing every arab and muslim country in the middle east. A quick resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a cessation of our daily bombardment of Iraq will eleminate many causes of terrorism.Otherwise our innocent civillians and military will continue to pay the price for our misguided middle east policies.

ocean, nj

Dear FRONTLINE,

The real tragedy of September 11 is the arrogance of power and a disregard for a basic tenet of human nature that Shakespeare understood better than any modern man -- that it is man's essence to fight against oppression to the death, no matter how outmatched by his opponent.

As the self-professed "world's only super-power," the United States presumes that it can inflict its notion of a "new world order," one based purely on material consumption and the relentless expansion of the U.S. economy, on a world largely populated by militarily inferior nation-states.

Instead, however, Osama Bin Laden and his followers -- rabid America-haters all -- have shown rather dramatically just how vulnerable the world's only conventional super-power is.

Unfortunately for us, the new war is entirely unconventional and it introduces an entirely new element into modern warfare -- the warrior who considers it an honor and privilege to die on behalf of his holy cause, the destruction of the Great Satan that has caused so much pain for so much of the world, from Somalia to Afghanistan, two notable Cold War allies that were discarded as so much human and political rubbish when they were no longer necessary to our self-interest.

In the names of "national security" and "democracy," we have allowed the crime against humanity known as the decades-long Palestinian crisis to endure for all the world to see --- and judge harshly.

Now, we are paying a severe price for our selfishness and shortsightedness.

Osama Bin Laden is anything but a "coward," and his acts are anything but "senseless." If we do not soon learn that lesson and adjust our vision for a new world order that can keep the U.S. at its epicenter, the consequences of the future might make September 11 look like child's play.

John Buchanan
Miami Beach, Florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

Frontline did an excellent job of documenting terrorist attacks, and the lack of effective responses from the Reagan administration. Why didn't you interview Congressional members who were just as responsible for what was happening. Why did you choose to ignore the last 12 years of two other administrations? I think the only way to show the real constraints on our intelligence community is to cover the administrations and the congressional policies that have tied their hands. Interview some of the so-called leaders in Congress who want to take all the credit in election campaigns but are strangely quiet when 6,000 citizens are murdered due to their inaction.

Donald McSween
Charlotte, North Carolina

Dear FRONTLINE,

Your report was the first high quality production that actually gives the Sept 11th atacks perspective. If we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes from the past. Now that Americans civilians are losing our lives on American soil it is high time we that we examine our failed policies from the past.

Thank you, I will make a financial contribution to PBS tommorrow. More Americans need to see these reports.

Hyattsville, MD

Dear FRONTLINE,

I watched the Target America episode. There was a 3 second explanation for why Americans were being targeted, but I missed it because my wife was talking. I listened after that but did not hear anything that indicated any research into Israel's involvement. There was no mention of the 17,000 plus Palestinian lives lost in Lebanon. No mention of Sharon's involvement in the 1982 massacre in Lebanon. There is a growing amount of evidence of the blatant terroristic activities of Israel and its IDF and Mossad. We have been on the internet since the bombing and we have found all kinds of leads and books written on the Mideast situation. And then we see this Frontline show which answers nothing as to the real issues and points nowhere for the answers. If you are really interested, we could show you our investigation results. Please check for yourselves. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the US has been manipulated and used by Israel. And it will continue unless someone brave in the media can get past the hype and take an honest look. Thank you.

Ted Soens
Millersburg, Ky.

Dear FRONTLINE,

I just want to thank Frontline for an excellent program that every American should see. Time to wake up.

this is preaching to the choir, because if you watch frontline, you're probably not in the majority who have been essentially oblivious to international and military affairs since VietNam. But let's get the word out. Too bad NBC can't seem to give us real news. If it's not a sex scandal it ain't news I guess.

In the words of a USMC Harrier Pilot, discussing America's outrage at the September 11 attacks:

"So, America, while you sit on your couch or around your office coffee pots and ask, "Why did those terrorists kill innocent civilians? Why didn't they go after the Military? Remember this America: They already had but America didn't care. These terrorists realized that they needed to kill American Civilians, and lots of them, before they could have their desired reaction from the people of this country.

Well, now they have it."

Mandy Krupa
Boynton Beach, Fla

Dear FRONTLINE,

Why no mention of the failure of the last eight years to attack the terrorist problem? Could your liberal slip be showing? what about our absent response to the Cole bombing, or the missile launches timed prior to votes on the Clinton sex scandles. Surly the terrorists knew that Clinton was compromised as a leader and we are now paying the price. Can't PBS ever admit that a Democrat can fail? Your credibility suffers everytime that you make these partisan attack shows.

jeff forslund
isle of palms, sc

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